Blow to Miliband’s nuclear ambitions as top mini-nuke lab faces closure
A state-backed nuclear laboratory at the heart of Britain’s proposed mini-reactor revolution is facing closure in a headache for new Energy Secretary Ed Miliband.
Researchers and staff at Sheffield University’s Nuclear Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) have been warned of possible redundancies amid a major overhaul.
The centre, which employs about 150 people, is focused on engineering the specialist steel needed to build small modular reactors (SMRs) – a key element of Britain’s strategy to quadruple nuclear power by 2050.
Staff have been told that only about 30 of them will be retained and they will be absorbed into the larger university-run Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre, which employs about 700 workers.
The plan represents a blow to Britain’s nuclear ambitions and a challenge for Mr Miliband as he seeks to chart a path towards a low-carbon future. Nuclear energy is regarded as a crucial part of the country’s net zero mix because it can supply constant power output when there is no wind or sunshine.
SMRs were championed by the previous government because they are far smaller and cheaper to build than a traditional nuclear plant.
The AMRC closure means dozens of engineering and nuclear specialists could be lost – with many likely to be recruited by largely overseas companies now leading in nuclear manufacturing.
The centre is owned by the University of Sheffield but is overseen by industrial partners such as Rolls-Royce and French energy giant EDF, which have made multimillion-pound investments at its site on the Sheffield-Rotherham border.
Sheffield, Derby and Warrington are often regarded as the UK’s nuclear triangle because of the number of advanced engineering companies located in or between them, also including Rolls Royce’s Derby plant.
Koen Lamberts, Sheffield’s vice-chancellor, said the proposed redundancies and “changes to the current structure of the Nuclear AMRC” would help to “deliver our priorities around clean energy research and innovation”.
He said: “Our work to support the design and production of SMRs will continue to grow and offer significant opportunities for the South Yorkshire region.”
Nuclear AMRC is one of seven High Value Manufacturing Catapult centres that were brought together in 2011 by Innovate UK to support commercialisation of new products and processes.
Mr Lamberts said: “The proposals have been shared with our Nuclear AMRC staff and there will be a 90-day consultation to consider the proposals and explore future options. We are actively working to reduce the need for redundancies.
“The plans propose that the Nuclear AMRC’s core manufacturing research and development activities will be retained by the University of Sheffield. We continue to work with the nuclear sector and funders to look at options for some of the Nuclear AMRC’s wider work – including supply chain development, policy work and business development.”
Its core facility is an 8,000 sq metres custom-built research factory containing more than £35m of state-of-the-art manufacturing equipment tailored for nuclear industry applications.
The building acts as a research factory for innovative and optimised processes in machining, welding and other key areas of large-scale manufacturing technology.
Another custom-built facility at Infinity Park, Derby, focuses on engineering research for the nuclear supply chain. It includes a massive workshop with 50 tonne cranes to build large fabrications, plus a range of 3D printing and other prototyping.
The overhaul comes as Great British Nuclear (GBN), a government arms-length body created to drive forward delivery of new nuclear-generating capacity in the UK, runs a competition to select two designs of SMR to take forward for development.
Five out of six shortlisted firms have just submitted initial tenders. GE-Hitachi, Holtec Britain, NuScale Power, Rolls-Royce SMR and Westinghouse Electric Co all successfully submitted their documents this week. EDF was the one shortlisted company that did not submit documents, instead opting to withdraw from the competition.
SMRs are nuclear power stations that have lower capacity than large-scale nuclear plants. They are in theory quicker and cheaper to deploy thanks to their modular design, which will see parts created in a factory.
So far however, none have been built and their economic viability remains uncertain.
A government spokesman said: “The University of Sheffield is legally responsible for NAMRC, including its staff. It has launched a consultation with affected employees that will end in early October.
“The UK is a leading global player on nuclear research and development with a wide range of world class capabilities and researchers across the sector.”